Ghesquière, McCartney Among ACE Honorees

Nicolas Ghesquière and Stella McCartney are among the honorees named by the Accessories Council for its annual Accessories Council Excellence Awards Gala, set for Nov. 3 at Cipriani 42nd Street in Manhattan. The honorees are nominated and voted upon by accessories industry members and retailers. The ACE Awards were founded in 1996 to pay homage to those who have made great strides in the category. Deborah Norville will again emcee the event, which takes place after the first Cole Haan-sponsored cocktail hour. The honorees are: Ghesquière for Balenciaga for Designer of the Year, McCartney for the new Green Designer of the Year, Banana Republic for Retailer of the Year, bag designer and "Desperate Housewives" costumer Cate Adair for Influencer of the Year, Sally Singer of Vogue for the Marylou Luther Award for Fashion Journalism and Elle Magazine for Magazine of the Year. Emilio Pucci will also be inducted into the ACE Hall of Fame.